Tomb Raider: Past and Present
by Absters the great
Summary: Set after Underworld,maily about the dear departed Alister, but with a twist of Angel of Darkness
1. Chapter 1

_Tomb Raider: Past and the Present_

_Chapter One_

_Lara lay on her back, staring at the ceiling of her pool house. She rolled onto her front, and stood up. Throwing her arms out to the side, Lara kept her balance on the huge plant feature that was suspended above her pool._

"_Ms Croft."_

_Lara was taken by surprise and fell from the feature, only just turning it into a dive in time. She hit the water and after a few moments, swam up to the surface._

"_My biggest apologise Ms Croft." Laughed Winston._

_Lara rolled her eyes and clambered out of the pool._

"_What is it Winston?"_

"_Well Ms Croft," he began._

"_Please Winston, for the last time, call me Lara!" Interrupted Lara._

"_Of course Ms Cro- Lara."_

_Lara giggled._

"_I'm worried about Zip; he hasn't been the same since Allisters death."_

_Lara winced. Losing Allister had been a huge rip in her and the guys, and hung there like a huge hole of sadness, eating away at their minds. "None of us have been the same Winston, we all miss him."_

"_Quite. It's just Zip's been the worst, he's so quiet, and doesn't smile at all. You don't seem to have been that bothered by it."_

"_How dare you say that?" exploded Lara, red in the face with sudden rage. "I may not have changed the way I act towards you two, I may have been able to restrain myself from crying in front of you, but that doesn't mean I haven't lain awake night after night, feeling like I -could of done something to stop his death, that it was my fault!"_

_Winston stood there a moment; slightly afraid of Lara, who of course was the one with SMG's strapped to her thighs._

"_And another thing," said Lara, turning to leave. "I don't want you to discuss Allister with me again, or anybody for that matter." She strode out of her pool house, and then broke into a sprint._

_Zip sat at a computer, clicking away at the keys. Accidentally, he opened a folder of holiday snaps, taken last Christmas. _

_A picture of Lara flashed onto the screen, very drunk and standing on a table in leopard print underwear. She appeared to be singing along to some crummy Christmas tune, whilst Winston stood at the back, astonished at the scene in front of him. Zip smiled a little at that one._

_Another picture came up, one of Zip this time. He was tied to a chair and coated in makeup. Lara stood next to him, laughing and holding her sides. She was dressed in that photo._

_Zip went through a whole load more, laughing at some, scowling at others that were of him doing stupid things. Suddenly a picture of Allister came up, and sobs choked up inside Zip._

_The picture showed Lara with her arms around Allister, and Zip making bunny ears behind All-star's head. Tears rolled down Zip's cheeks, dripping onto his shirt. _

_Allister should be with me, _Zip thought. _He should be here now, laughing at the stupidity and drunkenness Christmas brings. _

But he wasn't, he was dead. Gone from Zip's grasp forever. The flood gates burst, and Zip howled, burying his head into his arms. Foot steps sounded behind him.

"What's up honey?" Asked Lara's soothing voice as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Zip could only raise a shaking hand and point to the screen. Lara looked at the screen and a tear came to her eye.

"I know love, I know." She said with a sigh. She sat down next to him, sliding her strong arms around him. "Please don't cry Zip, please. You'll make me start up."

Zip looked at her, his face sodden with tears. He placed his arms around Lara, and then cried onto her shoulder.

Lara sighed again. She stroked Zip's head and fought back the tears, the tears of pain and anger.

"I-I'm so sorry Lara, I just miss him so much, I-I loved him more than anything, and now he's gone… I can't take it." Sobbed Zip.

"Don't Zip, just don't." Lara said sternly. She let go of Zip and stood up. "I don't want to think about him." She left the computer room and jumped, grappling a metal hook in the ceiling. She climbed up the rope a little, and then swung, jumping onto the balcony.

Zip sat there for a moment, then turned back to the computer.

_There's work to be done, _he thought, _so I should do it._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_**Lara's clone stands in front of her, sneering. In her hands is Allister's dead body, limp and bleeding. Lara swings her fist into the doppelganger, but it goes straight through. She tries shooting it, but that doesn't work either.**_

_**Screaming in rage, Lara leaps and rams her feet into the doppelganger's face, snapping its head back.**_

"_**Lara."**_

_**Lara spins round, trying to see who called her name. Allister stands in front of her.**_

"_**Impossible." Breathes Lara, walking towards Allister. The building is burning around her, parts of it falling to the ground.**_

"_**Yes Lara, come to me, come and stop me from being taken away, save me Lara, save me." Says Allister, stretching his arms out towards Lara.**_

_**Lara begins running toward him, but she can't. It's like she is running on a rolling log. She tries jumping but she hit's an invisible wall and is thrown to the ground. All the time Lara**_

_**Lara is almost there but Natla swoops down from the ceiling, hitting Lara across the face.**_

"_**To late to save him now Lara." She yells, and points her finger towards Allister.**_

_**Allister begins to float in the air, he is shrieking Lara's name, pleading her to help him. Lara stands up and sprints towards him, trying to grab his leg, brings him back to her. But just as she touched him, Allister begins to melt away, his loveable face dripping like a candle.**_

"_**NO!" Screams Lara. The floor beneath her gives way, sending her plummeting into a fiery pit.**_

"_**Hello Lara." Comes the sneer of Amanda, who is pointing a gun at Lara's head. "Time to die." Amanda fires, and time slips into slow motion.**_

**Lara woke with a start. The same damn dream again. Always the same, always as terrifying. She turned over onto her front, and screamed long and loud into the pillow. **_**I'm being taken over by this**_**, she thought. **_**Maybe I could try not bottling it all up, talk to Winston and Zip about it. **_**She rolled over again. **_**Or maybe I could just fall from a great height on a mission, or let them shoot me. **_**A tear sprang into her eye. **_**It would be easiest for me, but how would Zip cope? Losing Allister is bad enough, but losing two people so close together? It would kill him.**_** She thrashed at the covers on her bed. **_**It isn't fair. **_**She sighed. **_**Of course it isn't. Life isn't fair, because if it was, Freddie Mercury would still be around, and ABBA would never have come into existence. **_**She turned again.**_** And Allister would be with us still. Still overly cautious, still there for Zip. **_**She sobbed.**_** And still killing me.**_

**A loud knock pulled Lara from her thoughts. She glanced at the clock. 3:09am. Her eyes narrowed. **_**The main gates don't open until 6:30. Ah great, a break in. At least it'll draw my mind from Allister. **_**Pulling on a black shirt and shorts, Lara ran out of her room, drawing her pistols. She flipped along her corridor silently, opening the door to the balcony.**

**As she ran down the balcony, the knocks became more frantic. Lara swan dived off the balcony, rolling on the floor. She jumped back and then flipped, landing facing the great wooden doors.**

_**Alright, now to see who's there.**_** Lara swung the door open with her left hand, thrusting her right pistol out, right under the intruder's nose.**

**An SMG was shoved in her throat.**

"**Lara, don't fire."**

**Lara's brow furrowed. **_**That voice is familiar.**_** She looked up and gasped.**

**Kurtis Trent.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Lara staggered backwards, to in shock to do anything.**

**Kurtis lowered his guns and stepped towards her. "Don't be scared Lara, it's just me, Kurtis." He said, trying to sound soothing, but failing.**

"**I-I can see that, b-b-but you're dead. I haven't seen you since…" She trailed off, still to in shock to move much.**

**Kurtis lowered his SMG and stepped towards her, putting his arms out to catch her if she fainted. "Lara, are you alright? Do you need some water?"**

"**No, no I'm fine." Lara said. "And what exactly are you doing?" She snapped, frowning at his hands near her waist.**

**Kurtis blushed a little and dropped his hands to his sides. "I thought you might faint." He said quietly.**

"**Me? Faint? Kurtis, I'm Lara Croft, I've gone against mythological beings even worse than the stories tell. I do not faint." Lara crossed her arms and shifted her weight onto her left leg, stooping her head to that side as well. "Now tell me how come you're alive."**

"**Of course, just can we sit down?" Asked Kurtis, his eyes shifting from left to right a little. **

**Lara flipped nimbly backwards and landed on the sofa next to the coffee table. **

**Kurtis looked impressed. "I see you've expanded your skills Lara. You think we could sit somewhere else? Like your bedroom?" **

**Lara's eyebrows shot up. "Why the bedroom?" She asked in low threatening tones.**

"**Oh God, no, I didn't mean that." replied Kurtis quickly. "I meant somewhere more concealed, you know, less near the door."**

**Lara looked at him a moment, then nodded. "The library then." Lara stepped off the sofa, turned towards the stairs and stepped up them. Kurtis followed, marvelling at the sheer size of Lara's mansion. "Nice place Lara." He said, clanking up the stairs in his huge boots.**

"**Thanks, and try to walk softly, Zip's sleeping here tonight."**

"**Zip? Care to tell me who this guy is?"**

"**My main man, an overpaid computer geek." Lara laughed quietly. "But don't say that to him, I love him and value what he does for me."**

"**You love him?" Asked Kurtis, sounding a little crest fallen.**

"**Not like that." Replied Lara curtly, opening the door that lead to the corridor, with eventually came to the Library. "I love him like a brother. Besides, loving him would be stupid."**

"**Why?" Asked Kurtis, fallowing Lara down the hall.**

"**He's gay." Lara put her hand on the library door and pushed it open.**

**Kurtis looked at her for a moment with a confused expression on his face. "Why would you want to employ him if he's gay?" **

**Lara glared daggers at him. "Do NOT discriminate Homosexuals in my house thank you very much. And I will not hear a word against Zip do you understand me?" Yelled Lara as loudly as she dared.**

**Kurtis took a step backwards. "Sorry Lara, sorry."**

"**You'd better be." Lara sat on the floor of the Library next to the desk.**

"**Why don't you sit on the chair?" Asked Kurtis, pointing to the large chair nest to the desk.**

"**DON'T SIT THERE!" Yelled Lara, a lot louder than she meant to. Kurtis stared at her wide eyed. **

"**It's Allisters chair."**

"**He must be very protective of his chair huh?" grinned Kurtis.**

"**No, he's not, he's dead." Lara said.**

_**Lara stood next to a group of paramedics, patching up Zip's leg.**_

"_**He hasn't lost that much blood Mrs Croft, so he'll," Began one of the G.P's**_

"_**Ms." corrected Lara.**_

"_**Oh yes, of course, sorry. But as I was saying,, He'll be fine."**_

"_**Good." Said Lara, tears dripping down her face.**_

"_**Ms Croft, I just said he'll be fine, why are you crying?"**_

"_**It's nothing you need to know about." Snapped Lara, as she walked towards Winston.**_

"_**Ms Croft, how are you feeling?" He asked, handing Lara a flask of coffee.**_

"_**I'm fine Winston, thanks for the coffee." Lara glugged down some of the warm beverage as Winston put a blanket around her shoulders.**_

"_**Ms Croft?" A fire man walked towards Lara. "Very little survived the explosion, but we have found a few items." Lara looked at the pile of artefacts that lay on the pile. A golden mask, the eye of Horus, a stuffed crocodile head, and a chair. **_

_**Allisters chair.**_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4"Lara, Lara? Earth to Lara." Kurtis waved his hand in front of Lara's face. "Are you there?"Lara was dragged back to the present by Kurtis. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Just, just thinking, that's all.""Hmmm, well you look a little tearful, anything you wanna talk about?" Kurtis, much to Lara's surprise, actually sounded concerned."No, I don't want to talk about it." Lara slipped back into her Ice queen stature, her face wiping clear of any emotion. "And any way, you're supposed to be telling me what happened with Boaz back in Paris."Kurtis nodded then swiped his hair out of his eyes. "Well, after I boosted you out of there, she came for me. Hissing and spitting these toxic globs." Kurtis shuddered. "Then after seemingly endless shooting, I thought I had gotten her, but no. She was like this fly thing, a really ugly looking pixie, sorta."Lara smiled a little."Well any way," continued Kurtis, slightly annoyed that Lara wasn't taking things seriously, "I had her on the ground, I thought I had her dead," Kurtis waved his hands in front of him subconsciously, acting out the movements. "So I turned to leave, right, to look for a way out." Kurtis' eyes widened, his face tightening with the memory. "I couldn't move, I was willing my legs to go but nothing happened. I looked down and there I saw it, Boaz had put her claw right through me. I decapitated her, then I collapsed, blood was oozing out the hole in my stomach."

"God…" breathed Lara, her hand crept onto Kurtis' shoulder in comfort. "But how are you still alive?" asked Lara. "You should be dead."

Kurtis shrugged. "I'm not sure what happened after that, I remember waking up in a hotel, everything clean and new. A man was sitting on the edge of my bed, humming and reading a book."

"That's odd, what book?" Asked Lara eager to diagnose what sort of man this mystery person was, what he was reading may have been a clue

Kurtis gave her an astonished look. "What makes you think I'd remember? And how come you aren't all "Oh my god, what happened, how did you end up there?"" asked Kurtis, sounding slightly offended.

"Sorry," Lara said, wiping the smile of her face, "I meant to say, oh my God, how did you end up there?" Lara's eyes sparkled.

Kurtis rolled his eyes. "I asked him that, and he smiled at me, and said "Mr Trent, I need you to find Ms. Croft. I need you to find her, and bring her this."" Kurtis opened his dirty hand to show a small heart shaped box. The box appeared to be made of grey stone, yet was weightless. It was covered is small blue swirls and patterns, similar to that of Excalibur.

Lara's eyes widened as she took the box from his hand. As the box slid onto her palm, the swirling design seemed to move and glow with a sapphire hue.

"Could it be?" Lara whispered, her hand shaking ever so slightly as she opened the box. As the lid slid up, it hissed and seemed to sing silently. A small, ornate silver ring lay on black silk. The ring beckoned Lara to touch it, slide it onto her finger "It is… I don't believe it." Lara examined the ring, holding it between her thumb and first finger.

"What is it?" asked Kurtis, gazing at the ring.

Lara looked at him, smiling, her chocolate eyes gleaming in the pale light of dawn.

"My ticket to Avalon."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Lara jumped up from the floor and ran her hand along a book shelve. She came to a large brown leather bound book, with "H.L Francis" Written in small gold print along the spine. Lara plonked the book down on the desk, thumbing pages trying to find the page she needed.**

"**This book was written by a man who was ridiculed for being insane. He wrote about a "Forgotten Queen" who was supposed to have ruled the entire underworld until the newer Gods, the ones we have records of, over threw her and split the underworld into the many different underworlds, the cause of the many different religious beliefs." explained Lara. **

"**Then why was this guy supposed to be insane, if all he did was write about mythology?" asked Kurtis, watching Lara's brow knit with concentration.**

"**There were no records of this "forgotten Queen"; H.L Francis claimed to have been told these facts about the underworld by the ancient Queen herself."**

"**Ah, I can see why people thought him to be insane." nodded Kurtis, shifting his weight from his left to right. A silence descended on the Library as Lara continued to thumb away at the book. Kurtis' eyes began to droop as the sun peaked in the window, shedding a pink light onto his face.**

"**Golaxi prasimatus." Lara said with triumph spread over her face like butter on bread.**

"**Goldfrap who?" said Kurtis, suddenly back into the world.**

"**Golaxi prasimatus." repeated Lara, pointing at a picture of the ring Kurtis had just given her. "It was supposed to have belonged to the forgotten Queen, but she lost it long ago in the realm of men."**

**Kurtis gave her a strange look. "What, you're telling me that you believe in that stuff?" he inquired, wrinkling his nose ever so slightly.**

**Lara gave him a look that could kill. "I have fought against mythical creatures of your worst nightmares Kurtis, I've been to Niflheim, and I've come face to face with the Queen of Atlantis. I am going to allow myself to put some faith into this ring's history." Lara held up the ring then slid it into her pocket. **

"**But you said that some crack pot said that the Queen had told him." declared Kurtis.**

"**Again Kurtis, I am willing to put a little faith in that as well. For, as you see, I am in possession of the ring at this moment in time. And I'm not letting it go either." She said as Kurtis tried to take it from her.**

"**Sorry," said Kurtis, "What's Avalon? Why do you need to go there?" But Lara had already walked out of the library. **

**Lara sprinted down the hall and rounded into another room. **

"**Zip? Zip! Wake up!" She shook the seemingly sleeping figure of Zip until he turned round.**

"**I'm awake Lara, what do you want?" Zip yawned sleepily.**

"**It's very important." Lara grinned and held up the ring.**

"**Look Lara, getting hitched is all well and good, but can't you tell me **_**after**_** five thirty in the morning?" asked Zip, pointing at the digital clock that rested on an oak dressing table.**

"**This isn't an engagement ring!" Lara wasn't sure whether she should giggle or hit him over the head. "This, my dear friend, is Golaxi prasimatus." Zip's eyes widened.**

"**You mean it exists? That nut job H.L Francis' theory of the forgotten Queen is real?" Zip couldn't believe what he was hearing.**

"**Yes Zip, it seems that way." **

"**Well," Zip lowered his voice, "what about the powers that are supposed to come with it?" Lara gave him a childish grin.**

"**Let's find out, shall we?" Slightly shaking with anticipation, Lara slid the ring onto her finger. It shone a brilliant blue and the skin of Lara's hand began to wrap around it, encasing it beneath her own flesh. **

"**That's cool." said Zip, reaching out to touch the ring.**

"**Don't touch it!" screeched Lara, snapping her hand back. "It's supposed to be lethal to anyone other than the wearer. Now, let's see what this thing can do."**

**Pointing at the vase in front of her, Lara willed all her energy into the ring. A violet stream of light leapt from it, cracking the vase into a thousand little pieces, glinting in the rings orange glow.**

"**Now that is way cool." said Zip, smiling in wonder at the spectacle he had just witnessed.**

**Lara jumped as she felt a hand placed on her shoulder. "Bloody Hell Kurtis! Don't do that!" she yelled, expecting to hear Kurtis laugh at her surprise.**

"**Now then, since when has my name been Kurtis?" asked a deep Irish voice, as a gun was thrust into Lara's neck. "Don't move now, we wouldn't want to have to kill you now, would we?" A large dirty hand slid down Lara's body and wrenched the pistols out of her holsters. **

"**So, I don't suppose you'd mind removing that gun from my neck? It's a little uncomfortable." Lara said, fighting to keep her cool.**

"**Sure, no problem." came the reply. Much to Lara's surprise, she felt the gun leave the back of her neck. She ducked as she heard it fire, and watched as the bullet caught Zip's shoulder.**

"**Dammit Lara! What the hell was that?" yelled Zip, clutching his shoulder.**

**Just as Lara was about to answer, a sharp blow came to her head, and the world crumpled into darkness.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Lara woke bound in a tight position blindfolded. She parted her dry lips and let out a small moan.

"Lara? God, Lara, is that you?" came Kurtis' gruff rasp.

"Yes Kurtis, its me." replied Lara, her mouth so dry it hurt to speak.

"Thank God." Lara heard Kurtis snort through his nose and groan. "They've disarmed us."

Lara would have rolled her eyes if she didn't have a smelly piece of cloth over them. "Of course they've disarmed us, it's always the way. They never just let me keep my guns, they make me find them again." a little pride slid into her voice. "But I always get them back; they couldn't stop me if they tried."

"Well, they probably do try Lara; just you're too good for them." Kurtis answered, smiling.

Lara grinned. "You're so sweet Kurtis."

"Now, let's get outta here before any one shows up."

"All well and good words Kurtis, but we're tied up." Lara heard movements and then felt Kurtis brush against her.

"There you are."

"Kurtis, what in hells name are you doing?" asked Lara.

"Just trying to do something…" In a moment the blind fold came from Lara's face, her eyes blinded by bright sunlight, streaming in through the window. "Ok then Lara," said Kurtis as his face appeared in front of her. "Can you get rid of my blindfold please?"

"I can't. I'm bound in a rather tight position."

"Yes Lara, I thought you would be, I meant your ring. I heard excited shouts from that Zip guy."

"Of course." Lara closed her eyes and concentrated hard on the ring, her energy running to the metal band encasing her finger. The world seemed to slide away from her, Lara Croft and the world stood next to each other, not related to each other at all, separate in every way.

"Thanks Lara, that ring is amazing."

Lara sat there shuddering. There was something that she didn't like about the ring's power, she felt to powerful, like the world could be hers. This scared Ms Croft deeply.

"Lara? Lara? I've untied you. Are you OK?" Worry rose in Kurtis' voice.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine." Lara opened her eyes and stood up. "I'm fine. Come on, we've got to find out where we are."

"Hey sweet cheeks, where'd you think you're takin' that pretty lil' ass of yours?" asked a high male American voice.

Lara rolled her eyes and spun round, kicking the man hard in the gut. He toppled over with an oof. He dropped his guns and lay on the floor groaning.

"Now, my idiotic sir, tell me where we are, and tell me now or else." Lara slid the pistols into her holsters.

"I won't never tell you, ya hear?" Yelled the American soldier defiantly.

"Oh really." Purred Lara. She withdrew a pistol and placed in at the mans neck. Kurtis just grinned and leant back, resting his head on the wall.

"You w-wouldn't k-kill me." The American said, though he didn't sound to sure.

"Oh really." repeated Lara. Her face blank of emotion, she shot the mans shoulder.

"You bitch!" screamed the man, moaning in pain.

"Oh like I haven't heard that one before." Said Lara, boredom slipping into her voice. "Now tell me where we are."

"Y-Yeah, sure. You're on a ship, in the atlantic ocean." He stuttered.

"That's all I need to know from you. Good night." Lara cracked the man over the head with the butt of her gun, sending him unconscious. "So, now what?" Asked Kurtis, watching Lara search the man for some more weapons.

"Mmmhmm. What have we here?" Muttered Lara as she picked up a small key. Holding it up to the light she inspected it, muttering to herself. "Seems we have a master key."

"Well, that's useful." Nodded Kurtis, taking the key from Lara's hands and opening the door. Lara sighed as they stepped out of the door.

"Man with a gun, let me deal with him."

Lara grinned and leapt forward, firing at the first man she saw, turning it into a swan dive then rolling. She came up from the crouch and looked from side to side, checking for any more men.

"I don't see any more." Said Kurtis.

"Good, let's find some then." Replied lara, and she strode off in the direction of the cabin.


End file.
